Creating 2 PLCs on Studio 5000 Emulate

I want to create 2 PLCs on Studio 5000 Emulate v28 so that I can practice messaging between 2 PLCs using Studio 5000 Design v 30. The documentation I've read says there can be up to 16 controllers on the virtual chassis but I can't figure out how to do it. Right now I have the standard Studio 5000 Logix Emulate EmuLogix5868 Controller. Do I have to open a second instance of Emulate? What controller would I choose for that second instance? Or is there a way to use the same virtual chassis? I just started using Emulate this week so I'm a bit new to this software.

Just add another processor to the rack in a spare slot.

Ok I have done that. I have two Studio 5000 Design projects open, each pointing to one of the PLCs. How do I create a link between the two PLCs?

A Message or Producer/Consumer?

Just curious...Cary, Illinois or Cary, NC?

But in regards to your question, easiest is first have both PLC's in each other's I/O configuration. Then you can do produce/consume, or use message instructions and do CIP read/writes and just drag the other processor into the path box.

jkerekes,

When you have 2 physical PLCs you have to have a connection between them before you can send messages. Usually an Ethernet connection. Since both of my PLCs are on Emulate on the same virtual backplane I'm asking how to establish a link between them through the software like I would 2 physical PLCs.

robertmee,

NC

In this case it would be just the backplane. The same as a physical setup.

bishoposiris said:

jkerekes,

When you have 2 physical PLCs you have to have a connection between them before you can send messages. Usually an Ethernet connection. Since both of my PLCs are on Emulate on the same virtual backplane I'm asking how to establish a link between them through the software like I would 2 physical PLCs.

robertmee,

NC

Click to expand...

Cool...I grew up in Cary...In Raleigh now. Welcome.

Just to re-emphasize jkerekes, that's what I was referring to in my previous post...put them both in the io tree, matching the slots you have them in the emulator. You won't be able to do it via an ENET card like you might in the real world where they are on a physical network. But you can do it via the backplane in emulate, and the principle is the same, as the instructions are the same...you are just changing the path.

It can't be as simple as that. I can't even create produced/consumed tags because it doesn't see the other PLC. And I can't just simply add a new module. I can do it on one Designer but not the other.

It is simple. You don't need to put the other controller in the I/O tree for a message. The path would be 1, slot #. So if the other emulated controller is in slot 0, the path would be 1,0.

bishoposiris said:

It can't be as simple as that. I can't even create produced/consumed tags because it doesn't see the other PLC. And I can't just simply add a new module. I can do it on one Designer but not the other.

Click to expand...

Why can't you add an additional processor? If your emulator has processors in slot 5 (PLCA) and slot 7 (PLCB), then in both projects add processors in slot 5 (PLCA) and slot 7 (PLCB). If you have other I/O in these slots, then you'll either have to pick open ones in the emulator rack, or temporarily remove the I/O to make room for the other processor.

Or if you don't want to do produce/consume and just do messaging, you can do as jkerekes suggests, but those slots still have to be open...can't have I/O modules in those slots.

Finally got this working. Thanks for all your help fellas.

@bishoposiris, not sure how you got this to work given this technote, which indicates this feature is unavailable in Emulator:

https://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/app/answers/answer_view/a_id/808515

Any feedback is appreciated,

Steve

I don't think the Tech Note was clearly defining the scenario. I believe in that instance they had Emulate running on two separate computers and were trying to configure a message between them. Since Emulate does not support communication modules there was no way to send a MSG between these two emulated controllers. They mentioned using SoftLogix instead which does support communication modules.

In this instance, the two controllers (see post #6) were running on the same computer, in the same virtual chassis, in different slots. Since the controllers are in the same virtual chassis, no communications module were needed. The MSG can transfer data over that virtual backplane.

jkerekes describes in post #10 that the communication path is simply 1, # where the # would be the slot number for the other controller in the same virtual chassis.

So the Tech Note isn't saying you can't use a MSG. It is saying you can't use communications module to connect the two controllers. Again, they are leaving out that the controllers are not using the same virtual chassis.

OG

Thanks very much for the feedback. It was indeed unclear from the Tech Note that two separate computers existed. In addition, it appears that SoftLogix is a legacy product and doesn't appear to be available, but for mere emulation purposed it would more than likely constitute overkill.

Not unlike bishoposiris, I was able to arrive at a solution. I may leave feedback for RA on the Tech Note if possible requesting elaboration as you've indicated.

Thanks again.